


summer salt

by roselynflame



Category: GOT7
Genre: Choi Youngjae-centric, Fluff and Humor, Love Triangles, M/M, Mermaid Mark Tuan, Siren BamBam, THEY ARE ALL WHIPPED FOR YOUNGJAE, all three of the J’s are in love with youngjae, human choi youngjae, human jackson wang, i CANR WRITE, it’s hilarious, jinyoung wants to eat youngjae, markgyeom are oblivious to the rest of the world, mermaid, mermaid im jaebum, mermaid kim yugyeom, or should i say....love SQUARES, or well attempt at humor, siren park jinyoung, ’s ass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-03-01 10:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18798847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roselynflame/pseuds/roselynflame
Summary: it seems the honey has turned sour. or maybe it was never sweet. youngjae doesn’t know, he can’t even breathe after all.huh. this isn’t how he expected his day to go.akagot7 mermaid/siren au, ft. jaebum, jinyoung, and jackson all chasing after youngjae (and also a lot of markgyeom moments for the readers seeing this fic from the mark/yugyeom tag!! <3)





	1. time away from home

**Author's Note:**

> hiya!!! 
> 
> god, this is a project i’ve been working on since october of last year, and through countless weeks of me working nonstop, to me on the verge of throwing this all away from the stress,,,, i did it!! 
> 
> so, this is my got7 mermaid/siren au! please make sure to read the tags for vvv basic info, like who’s a mermaid or siren and all blah blah!
> 
> i’m sorry that the note is getting long and that the chapter is kinda short,,,, i hope you enjoy!!

relief.

that’s the first thing youngjae thinks of when he finally feels the breeze against his face. he can so clearly smell the thick scent of salt coating the air, but it doesn’t bother him.

his shoes and socks are quickly discarded, the sand sticking to the pads of youngjae’s feet as he continues to walk towards the shoreline.

the decision to travel down to the beach was so impulsive, so different from what youngjae would’ve done in the past that it almost feels wrong to be here; it’s almost like this was all just ill-timed.

but his heart knows it isn’t.

it’s cheesy, youngjae knows that, but man, being here again just makes youngjae want to sit down and write a million love songs dedicated only to the intoxicating beauty that is the teal sea. 

youngjae checks his watch: it’s 7:34 pm. the sun is already beginning to set within the vast blue sky, fiery trails of red with pastel pinks following loosely behind. he frowns. jackson would’ve loved to come out here with him, but youngjae hadn’t thought to invite him.

“next time,” he whispers under his breath.

the waves sweep against his ankles as youngjae walks near the shore. the water is cool, but in a light and pleasant sort of way. 

the occasional rock litters the shoreline as he walks along, and youngjae makes sure to toss each one back into the water. 

but eventually, his legs begin to ache, and youngjae leaves the shore to sit and rest at the edge of the dock; it’s therapeutic how the cold water rushes around his ankles, and swirls between his toes.

there’s so much happening within life itself, it’s almost like he doesn’t get time to sit and _think_.

like, thinking about the upcoming summer, when he’d be able to go back to mokpo and visit his family, or the next time he should take jackson out to lunch since the elder already does so much for him; the light thoughts, the food for thought that feeds your heart instead of your insecurities.

but now, now is the time. he has the present.

youngjae closes his eyes, and the sound of the waves and wind combining into their own breathtaking lullaby takes over his mind. 

he’s been here, what, thirty minutes? god, how much youngjae wishes he could just stay in this moment together.

 _“to be able to stop time,”_ youngjae prays, _“just to be able to be here forever.“_

but there’s something that jumps in with the music wind and the rush of the waves make: a...voice? singing?

youngjae’s eyes fly open, some kind of inner panic awakening. he turns right, left, nothing. he searches in front of him, but there’s nothing but the faint tail of fire from the sun youngjae can’t even see again.

perhaps there was a street performer? or maybe a concert nearby youngjae didn’t know about? no, there’s no way. the voice is coming from the direction of the water.

youngjae stands, wet feet leaving messy imprints on the wooden dock. he squints again, but still nothing. he’s confused, that’s for sure. but youngjae also wonders, why is he so concerned about this? it’s just someone singing, there’s nothing significant about it, right?

but god, youngjae can’t seem to focus anything but that voice; smooth and gentle, it perfectly follows the melody that the clashing waves and winds provide.

it’s almost like honey, sweet and enticing, yet maybe a little too much for his own good.

maybe more than just a little.

his mind feels fuzzy. it’s as if static were overflowing his thoughts and replacing every coherent word.

youngjae takes a step forward. he misses the edge of the dock by a centimeter or two, his toes curling around the edge of the wood and his hands tightened into fists.

some small, rational part of youngjae’s mind is yelling at him not to move, to take a step back and snap out of whatever this is.

but seemingly in a trance, he takes another step forward, and immediately plunges into the darkness.

he swims deeper, eyes stinging from the salt water. but it’s okay, right? as long as he’s getting closer to that voice, closer to the melody that could seemingly save his life.

fuck oxygen, that voice would give him that and so much more, right?

black spots became to cloud youngjae’s vision, but he didn’t stop. he wanted, no, _needed_ to get to that voice.

but just as suddenly as it started, it cuts off, and youngjae’s mind instantly clears. it’s as if the clouds had separated to allow the sun to have the stage once again.

it seems the honey has turned sour. or maybe it was never sweet.

youngjae doesn’t know, he can’t even breathe after all.

he quickly begins to panic, frantically attempting to propel himself upwards, trying to get a single breath to save himself. but it’s no use, youngjae is seemingly stuck.

hypnotizing swirls of green and white begin to surround him before everything goes to black.

huh. this isn’t how youngjae expected his day to go.


	2. rockaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow,,, this came a lot sooner than i thought
> 
> anyway, this chapter is a bit longer!!! i hope you enjoy <333

just as suddenly as he fell under, youngjae is breathing again. or, well, breathing after he has essentially thrown up all the bitter water in his system.

the sun is still within the process of setting, youngjae’s shoes haven’t moved from their place on the dock, and nothing seems to have changed at all. he’s sure something has happened, but the only thing that comes to mind is how heavy his clothes feel, how his lungs and limbs burn as if they were doused with kerosene, and the silhouette sitting in next to him.

_ “wait, fuck, shit, bitch, what?” _

youngjae peers to his left, and well...it’s a sight to see. staring straight back at him are the most  _gorgeous_ honey brown eyes youngjae has ever seen in his entire life. hell, gorgeous has to be an understatement; there’s no amount of words in any language to describe the sight before him. 

the man’s jet black hair is damp and pushed back, allowing youngjae to clearly see the set of moles sitting directly above his left eye. it’s cute, but youngjae would never admit such thoughts to anyone. 

his eyes drop lower, and while the man’s broad shoulders are encaptivating, the teal necklace around his neck works harder at catching his attention; the sea glass is visibly glowing, shades of blue swirling and clashing against tan skin.  

it’s hypnotic in a sense. deja vu, youngjae thinks. it feels as if he’s already seen that necklace before.

but what he certainly hasn’t seen is a fish’s tail on a man though. well, besides mermaids in fantasy shows and kid cartoons, but this is real life, is it not?

and in real life, people don’t have tails. unless they’re furries, he reasons with himself, but clearly this isn’t the situation. 

 should he be freaking out? he feels dizzy, but there doesn’t seem to be any panic in youngjae’s system. maybe it went with the water he forced out of his body. 

 “...did you see me heaving all that water?”

“did  _you_ see my tail?”

youngjae blinks. once, twice, even a third time. “yes..?” 

“oh. well, then yeah, i did see you do your little choking thing.” he leans back, turning from youngjae to face the mass of blue. “you were lured out to sea by a siren, and almost even drowned after all, so don’t be embarrassed if you are.” 

“oh, okay.” he does a double take. “wait,  _what_ happened?! w-what the fuck are you? and what’s the deal with that necklace, because it’s starting giving me a headache!”

“i’m jaebum.”

“i didn’t ask for your  _name_!”

“but you asked what i am. i’m a jaebum.” the man chuckles, seemingly laughing at youngjae. “do i not look like a jaebum?”

_“who does this guy think he is?”_ youngjae seethes, furious as to how stuck up this “jaebum” is. he almost  _dies_ , and then this asshole saves him! man, youngjae would have rather drowned than deal with this narcissistic trout. 

“but yeah, uh, i think you land creatures call us mermaids?” the man’s—  _mermaid’s_ — expression is blank; it seems as if he’s explained this a million times and over, but at the same time, jaebum acts new to it all. it’s a weird contradiction, yet it fits with who jaebum is. or, at least who youngjae  _thinks_ jaebum is. “sounds like a cool name, but i can’t remember where i even heard it from. huh.” 

youngjae swallows. _“i_ _have to be dreaming. or dead. oh god, i’m probably **dead**! is this bitch supposed to be my guardian angel or something?” _

“m-mermaids are real?” he’s shaking, either from literal fear, or because of the fact that his clothes are still drenched in salt water. it doesn’t matter at this point, the fantasy creature that is no longer simply a fantasy appears to be much more important in this situation.

“well, look at me. look at my gills. look at my  _tail_ ,” jaebum deadpans, his face comically serious. youngjae almost lets out a giggle, but he knows better. “do i look fake to you?”

“i mean, i could be high, or someth-“

“oh, shut up.” someone speaks, but the voice doesn’t belong to jaebum. it’s suave and sultry, the kind of voice you’d hear doing smooth, dramatic voiceovers in movies trailers. it certainly sounds familiar,  _nostalgic_ even...but youngjae can’t pinpoint why. he’s terrified. youngjae feels as if the voice will bring him nothing but harm.

it’s frustrating, but jaebum is significantly more aggravated than him.  

jaebum whips his head to the side, youngjae confused, but following soon after.

the mermaid points accusingly. “that’s the bitch ass siren that tried drowned you!”

“hey, i wasn’t  _trying_ to drown him! i just happened to be singing, because, y’know, i have an immaculate voice that the heavens so wonderfully graced me, and he just so happened to fall for me...literally,“ the siren turns to face youngjae, “you really just walked right off that dock, huh?”

wow. and youngjae thought jaebum was narcissistic.

“oh, please, jinyoung, we both know you crawled straight out of hell, you damn snake.” they’re both glaring so intensely at each other that youngjae feels out of place just sitting in the sand. it’s like he’s intruding on a personal conversation, which, essentially, he is. 

it seems as if youngjae has just been inserted into a fairy tale; wide-eyed, naive, and unknowing, he had fallen for the lustrous voice that only the myths had spoken about before. 

although his memories are hazy, youngjae doesn’t doubt that he fell into the water because of that siren— jinyoung, jaebum had called him. he doesn’t doubt that jinyoung tried to kill him either. because, you know, he seems like a bitch. 

god, it’s impossible that this all is real. this only happens in creepy romance dramas and cliché anime series, but here are the mermaid in the siren in all their glory, fighting right in front of youngjae.

“get over yourself, jaebum, like you’re some fucking saint.” jinyoung spits out his name as if it were venom. 

his attention is suddenly directed to youngjae once again, dark eyes swirling with a spell-binding green youngjae doesn’t know whether he’s imagining or not. a smirk quickly graces his features. 

“mm, let’s ignore him. what’s your name sweet cheeks? i’m jinyoung.” 

before youngjae can even think about answering, jaebum intervenes for second time. 

“jinyoung-ah, why don’t you just go back home?” he asks, but it’s more of a demand than a suggestion. youngjae internally winces at how far the mermaid’s jaw seems to be extending, while jinyoung simply shrugs in response

“oh, my dear bummie, do you want me gone that badly?” the siren pouts and lets out a dramatic sob, flicking a few droplets of water onto his face to act as tears. “i’m  _so_ hurt. my childhood best friend, betraying me for some mere land creature he met just minutes before!”

he turns to wink at youngjae. “it’s reasonable though. even i’d chase after a cutie like you, no matter the costs.” 

youngjae raises an eyebrow in return. “and what if i walked away? what would you do then, crawl onto land and follow me?” 

“hell yeah, baby, i’d totally die for you. as long as i had a chance to grab onto  those holy thighs.”

it’s silent, all eyes on jinyoung’s smug smile. 

the wind billows, tussling youngjae’s hair around. the sun is ever so slightly lingering, a tiny blazing trail of fire contrasting against the distant ocean waves. it’s been what, ten, fifteen minutes since he’s has been out of water? god, all youngjae wants is a hot bath and to forget that today ever happened. 

“...anyway, it was nice almost killing you, honey. hope to do it again someti-”

jaebum smacks jinyoung on his shoulder, hard enough to leave the faint, red, outline of his palm. “god, just get out of here, jinyoung.”

“fine, but we’re talking at home once you leave your little boy toy over here.” the siren winks at youngjae one last time before turning and swimming down below the dark surface.

youngjae shudders again; part of him never wants to swim again, god, certainly not after today, but he knows he’ll never be able to separate himself from the beauty that is the sea. 

it’s as if the two are tied together, red strings of fate dictating their past, present, and future. 

youngjae finally musters up the strength to stand, back and shoulders popping after what feels like hours of slouching.

he can feels jaebum’s watchful gaze, but youngjae pays no mind and begins to walk towards the docks. jaebum dives back into the water as youngjae makes it to the edge again, mirroring the position he had sat in before he nearly died. 

the sun finally disappears as jaebum reappears at youngjae’s feet, eyes reflecting the porcelain moon. 

“so, what  _is_ your name?”

“i’m a youngjae.” he chuckles, this time at jaebum’s amused smile. “do i not look like a youngjae?” 

the mermaid hums, flicking random droplets of water against youngjae’s ankles. “youngjae...it fits you. you really do look like a youngjae.” 

“you look like a jaebum. hm, i don’t think i’ve ever met a jaebum before.”

“i’ve never met a youngjae.”

silence falls between them, not perfectly comfortable, but not unwelcome. youngjae needs time to think anyway. after today, youngjae may need the rest of eternity to think. 

_“what the fuck has happened in the last hour? i almost died because of a narcissistic siren, i’m pretty sure that mermaid saved me, and now we’re just exchanging pleasant conversation? please take me out of this H20 reboot...”_

he shakes his head slightly, water droplets falling upon his lap. 

“...so how’s being a mermaid?”

jaebum snorts. “oh, i don’t know, how’s being a human?”

“at least i can walk,  _fish stick_.”

 “and i’m assuming you land features need swimming lessons just to survive in water?  _boo hoo_.”the mermaid’s pout is so over-exaggerated, it almost looks painful.

well, at least it’s not pleasant conversation anymore, not as long as jaebum’s dumb ass bitch syndrome is present.

it’s weird; youngjae isn’t “comfortable” around the mermaid, but being back at his second home with the presence of jaebum? it, surprisingly, isn’t bad. 

it could be worse after all. he could’ve been food for the fishes. literally.

but he really does need to get home to jackson. he checks his watch: 8:23 PM. youngjae looks up at the stars beginning to glitter through the night sky, then back at jaebum, who still has a dumb, smug look painted across his face.

“are you always this stuck up to humans you meet?”

“only to the humans who almost die in my ocean.”

hm. maybe home could wait a little bit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed the chapter!! i’m really proud of jaebum and jinyoung’s introduction, and i hope it’s good enough. honestly, everything starts getting better at about chapter five???? around then,,,, i think
> 
> please leave a comment and a kudos to encourage me to update more often,,,, uwu <33333
> 
> message me on instagram or twitter at @iiroselynflame!!!


	3. give my heart a little break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i’m back!!!
> 
> i hope y’all have been excited!!! i’m sorry that it’s been about a month since chapter two, but i was a lil busy + i hit i really bad spot in writing and had no idea how to fix it :((
> 
> but it’s fine now!! originally this chapter was supposed to be jaebum and youngjae at the ocean, and then this chapter would’ve come afterwards...but shit happened and this was the only solution i could think of....
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy!!! i have blessed you with my babies jackjae uwu

youngjae’s hands shakily grasp at his apartment key, hastily shoving it into the lock before kicking the door open.

“jackson, jackson, jackson, oh my god.” he slams the door shut, tripping over his own feet as he slides past the pile of shoes by the entrance.

“holy _fuck_ , jackson, i‘m pretty sure i’m tripping, wake your ass up!”

and gracefully as ever, jackson falls off the couch within mere seconds. “huh, wha—“

“jackson, jackson, jackson, you have to promise me that you won’t freak out!” youngjae belts out as he kicks off his shoes to trade in for slippers.

“only if you promise to stop screaming, my god. you do know we have neighbors right?” the elder peels himself off the floor, only to have youngjae’s surprisingly wet hoodie thrown his way. actually, youngjae himself appears to be drenched in water, his peach locks steadily dripping onto their wooden floors.

“okay, well, i’m not cleaning all that up, but, dude, what the fuck happened to you?”

“oh, uh, where do i start...” youngjae pauses. oh god.

how _would_ he explain this to jackson?

_“oh, you know, i just happened to be lured into sea by a siren, as you do, and then a magic mermaid guy saved me! oh, and man, they were both super hot, but i would never admit that!”_

there’s a thousand explanations he could say, only a handful of which would actually make sense. but jackson knows him well, surely he’d believe him no matter how crazy he sounds.

...right?

well, either way, youngjae doesn’t exactly have a choice now.

“so, basically—“

“hey, what’s that glowing blue thing around your neck?” jackson reaches out, gently touching the sea glass hanging from the chain around youngjae’s neck.

the younger stares at jackson before peering down at the necklace himself. _“does this thing ever stop glowing?”_

“oh yeah, my new mermaid friend gave it to me.”

“that’s cool,” he hums in response. a beat of silence passes.

“wait, what?!” jackson jumps back from youngjae as if he were burnt with fire, climbing on top of the couch and pointing wildly at the younger. “dude, are you high?”

“jackson, i—“

“you said you’d quit back in high school!”

“jackson, i never smoked in—“

“you—“

“oh my god, just listen to me for once, you dumbass!” youngjae rips his wet sock off of his foot, proceeding to angrily propel it at his idiotic roommate.

“don’t throw your wet clothes at me, you disgusting beast!”

“then stop acting like a bitch, bitch!”

“ _i’m_ the bitch? oh, you—,” there’s no time to react before another sock comes flying at jackson’s face.

“i haven’t even said anything and you’re already overreacting!” he cries out. silence fills the air as the elder tosses both of youngjae’s socks to the ground.

“...okay, so you know how i went to the beach today?”

“yeah,” and like a child, jackson crosses his arms and pouts. “without even thinking about inviting me.”

“oh, shut up. but jackson, i’m serious, you gotta believe me when i tell you all this. promise me that you will!”

jackson straightens his back, furrowing his eyebrows in concern at youngjae’s words. he doesn’t seem like he’s playing, but at the same time, why would youngjae make something up about mermaids out of all things?

“jae, why wouldn’t i believe you?”

“just promise me! you’re my best friend, and out of everyone in this entire world, i trust you the most, which means i don’t want you making fun of me when i tell you the truth!”

he raises an eyebrow but complies anyway; it is for youngjae after all. “okay, okay, i promise.”

as an exasperated sigh escapes youngjae’s lips, the boy finally walks over to the couch to flop next to jackson.

“so, i was sitting on the dock, just relaxing and doing my thing, y’know? suddenly, i heard someone singing? and then i got lured into sea by a siren, as you do, but then this mermaid guy saved me!”

“as you do?!” jackson screams in response.

“who cares about the neighbors now?” the younger mumbles under his breath.

“bitch, what is this? mako mermaids season four?!”

“how am i supposed to know?! i didn’t exactly leave the house expecting to turn into the protagonist in some cliche romance anime!” he runs a slow hand through his hair, mentally cursing the sand stuck between his locks.

“but yeah, the mermaid saved me, and we kind of became buddies? i spent some time with talking with him, and before i left to go back home, he gave me his necklace.” youngjae unconsciously bites his lower lip, jackson carefully watching the action play out.

“what does it do? the necklace, i mean.”

“honestly, i have no idea. when i asked how it worked, he said, ‘mermaid magic, baby,’ before winking at me like some dumbass.” youngjae chuckles, removing the necklace from around his neck and placing it in jackson’s palm.

“this is exactly what he did, he put the necklace in my hand and closed my fingers around it and all. then he put his hands over mine, before mumbling some black magic shit. then the necklace started glowing like crazy, and he put it around my neck.”

reenacting the scene once more, youngjae closes jackson’s fingers around the sea glass, gently wrapping his own hands around the elder’s. cold fingers clash with warm palms, jackson ignoring the warmth in his own ears.

“haha...so he winked at you _and_ held your hands..?” cartoon smoke out of his nostrils and all, jackson is internally seething. is it obvious? god, jackson prays not, but either way, youngjae seems not to notice anything.

“yeah, but i don’t know, he and that siren seemed pretty flirty.”

“bitch, hold on, you talked with the _siren_ too?! the one who tried to drown you?”

“yeah! only for a little, but his name is jinyoung, and the mermaid guy’s name is jaebum!”

jackson opens his mouth to respond, before stopping himself. just...what the fuck was going on tonight? he can’t even imagine this happening in his own head, let alone actually experiencing it like the boy sitting before him.

“...are you a hundred percent sure you’re not high?”

“jackson, i will _murder_ you—“

“okay, okay, i’m sorry, haha! i believe you, jae.”

youngjae is quick to stop, a sweet smile blooming across his face. “really?”

“of course! why would someone like you with no imagination try to make something like this up anyway, haha— hey, don’t try to fucking bite me!”

a pillow comes soaring at youngjae, successfully sending him falling backwards and off the edge of their tiny couch. jackson only snickers from above the boy’s spot on their floor.

“karma, bitch. anyway, come on,” a hand reaches out, “have you eaten anything yet? i cooked dinner earlier, but i never ate.”

“aww, did you wait for me?” the younger latches himself onto jackson’s back, joyfully rocking the two of them side to side.

he only leans back into the embrace and sighs. “of course i did, jae, who do you take me for?”

they walk like that into the kitchen, the elder pulling out bowls and utensils before a loud gasp rings through the kitchen.

“oh my god, wait, you have to come with me tomorrow! to go to the beach!” youngjae cries out.

“wait, what? why do you want to go back again?”

“okay, jackson, you know me,” he takes the bowls from jackson and arranges them neatly on the counter, “if i could marry anyone in this entire world, i would marry the ocean. why would i _not_ want to go back again?”

the elder hums and begins checking on the pots on the stove. “...reasonable. go on.”

“okay, so after jaebum gave me this necklace, he said that next time i came by the ocean, we’d meet again.”

“jae...”

“come on, seunnie! you have to see this for yourself, and i gotta make sure i’m not dreaming.” an innocent smile paints itself onto his face, youngjae intent on getting his way. “we both don’t have classes tomorrow. there’s no excuse not to!”

“...fine. but only if you praise my god-like cooking.”

“like i don’t already do that.”

“oh, shut up and eat already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so exciting!!1!1!1
> 
> anyway, this was kinda filler, and also the introduction of jackson!!!
> 
> the next chapter isn’t gonna be jackjae heading to the beach though :((
> 
> buuuut, you may or may not be getting the intro to all the other boys ;)))
> 
> i hope you enjoyed!!! and please leave a comment or a kudos or anything to valid me lmAOO <33
> 
> message me on instagram or twitter at @iiroselynflame!!! im super active on both uwu <3


	4. tidal waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what’s up bro, didn’t expect me back so soon did ya???
> 
> this chapter is significantly longer than the others so far, but i really think it’s as “comedic” as the last chapter lmao
> 
> anyway, markgyeom nation better stand the fuck up bc this one is for you guys
> 
> sorry for any grammar errors!!! aka spacing errors because ao3 doesn’t like when i use italics lmao
> 
> please enjoy <3
> 
> (btw my friend was reading through and it became apparent that??? you might think sirens NEED to kill humans to survive??? 
> 
> it’s understandable why, but they don’t!! not in this universe at least,,,
> 
> it’ll be further explained in future chapters!! <333)

you know, contrary to popular belief, the mermaid and siren society isn’t as underdeveloped as humans make it out to be. 

it’s something jaebum’s noticed ever since he first started talking to humans, that they don’t believe him when he says things about how politics down under can get messy, or how he lives in a well populated city that he wish was just a _bit_ more known. (well, technically he lives in a sunken village that’s been cleaned up to fit their own modern society, but it still counts as a city!)

but it’s not like jaebum judges them for thinking that their world is underdeveloped, definitely not; after all, how can you expect those humans to be educated when their only sources range from thousand year old myths, to that one dumbass disney movie about the mermaid who gave up her voice for a stranger’s dick?

_ “no, we do not want to be part of your world. our world is just fine, thank you very much.” _

but surprisingly youngjae wasn’t like that. not in any way, actually. jaebum hates to sound stereotypical, but youngjae is...different from the rest. youngjae is—

“oh, hey, jaebum,” the door in front of him is suddenly opened, a head of flashy white hair popping out. “...were you just standing outside the door? like some fucking weirdo? dude, it has been three years since we moved in, you know you can literally walk in anytime, right?”

_“oh, don’t worry about me! i totally didn’t just get caught up in some stupid mental rant about humans because of the fact that a certain human is on my mind!”_

“uhm...don’t worry about it, bam.”

from a quick glance at the siren, it’s quite easy to notice the extra work put into his appearance. “going out tonight?”

“do you even know who i am, im jaebum? bitch, of course i’m going out, i’m getting my daily dose of dick!”

ah, bambam, just as open and as dramatic as ever.

“...good to know,” jaebum half heartedly mutters. “just don’t pass out in another cavern this time, okay? it’s hard as hell to look all over the _entire_ ocean for your hungover ass.”

“not making any promises!” bambam winks, smoothly gliding past him in the process. but before he swims out any further, bambam turns around, a tense expression painted on his face. 

“oh, and uh, i feel like i should tell you that, uh,” jaebum can hear the faint click of the siren’s tongue. “jinyoung seems  _hella_ pissed.” 

“huh? wait, why?”

bambam simply shrugs. “beats me, dude. he said something about you stealing his food and romancing it, but he’s always talking about shit like that, so.”

“oh.” and to think jaebum forgot about that siren for even a single second. 

“haha, well, good luck dealing with that bitch. bye, bummie!” 

the mermaid dejectedly waves him goodbye, internally groaning at the mere thought of dealing with jinyoung for the second time today. well, one way or another, jinyoung and him are going to argue, so why not just jump into it now?

jaebum turns the knob and pushes the door in, greeted with the sight of jinyoung “sitting” on a random floating chair they own. his arms are crossed, and his iconic glare is directed right at the elder.

“finished with your boy toy so soon?” 

he sighs, already exhausted after seven words. “jinyoung, his name is youngjae.”

“oh, i see how it is, so my _food_ has a name now, huh?” jinyoung is in the chair one second and out of it another, now opting to be up in the male’s personal bubble.

jaebum wants to wipe that smirk off jinyoung’s face, so badly. “what’s that? i’m sorry, if i remember things correctly, _you're_ the one who called your ‘food’ cute.”

“i meant something like,” he pretends to think, index finger playfully pressed against his lips, “he’d be cute served on a silver platter! man, i bet he would’ve tasted like  _heaven_! too bad you didn’t let me drown him when i had the chance.”

“jinyoung, i am going to _choke_ you!”  the mermaid shouts, using the open opportunity to lunge at jinyoung.

“sounds great, daddy, i have a fucking choking kink anyway!”

the siren hastily jumps to the side in an effort to dodge him, jaebum nearly slamming himself into the wall in the process.

“what will you do now, hm? you’ve known this dumb, two legged creature for, what, one hour? two hours?” jinyoung decides to take a risk and swims towards the mermaid, the two now floating face to face. 

“you’re already so obsessed with this ‘youngjae,’ and so soon too! this must be some kind of record!”

jaebum shoves him back. “and why are you so interested in him, huh? all you did was attempt to drown him, and you didn’t even succeed with that.”

they scowl at one another, not a single word slipping out of their mouths. jaebum and jinyoung seemingly have each other backed into a corner. 

“why are either of you interested? honestly, you both just seem like a couple of stalkers.”

the two peer to the side, only to be blessed with the sight of a sleepy mark.

“it’s a miracle how yugyeom is still asleep with the goddamn fighting happening out here...” they watch as mark yawns and shuts the door to his and yugyeom’s bedroom, rubbing his eyes before aiming a threatening glare at them; it’s absolutely terrifying how smoothly he switches from a disturbing state of calm to a silent, unwavering anger. 

if jaebum and jinyoung thought they were fighting before, they were in for a lot now.

mark quietly groans, wondering if he should even ask the following question. “what are you guys arguing about today?” 

they shout in unison.

“he fell in love with my food!”

“he tried to kill another human!”

“hey, stop fucking saying that, i am  _not_ in love with him!” jaebum turns to the siren. “and youngjae isn’t your food, bitch!”

jinyoung chuckles, reaching a hand out to pat jaebum’s cheek as if he were some naïve little boy. 

“i’m a siren, jaebum, everything that  _breathes_ is food to me.”

“oh, you’re really gonna get it now—“

“okay, both if you need to  _shut up._ ”

they freeze in place once again, and man, does mark look even more pissed than he was before. for years he’s had to deal with both of their chaotic antics, but never once in any of those years has the mermaid had an expression that...vicious.

“listen, whatever it is, you two need to stop fighting like children for once!” he lifts a hand to massage his forehead, “but what can i expect from two goddamn eight year olds...”

neither attempt to respond. jaebum optsto count the many scales on his tail, while jinyoung fiddles shyly with his fingers. 

“this has been going on for too long. i let it slide years before, but now?” the eldest motions his hand silently at the two, “this has gotten way out of hand.”

mark starts with the siren. “jinyoung, dude, you are one of my best friends, but literally none of us support your fascination with killing these land creatures. times have changed, jinyoung. you gotta leave some things in the past.”

“yeah, jinyoung,” the younger mermaid mocks, a snide smirk on his lips.

“oh, shut up, jaebum, you’re just as much to blame.” jinyoung mutters angrily.

“for once, he’s actually right, jaebum. you act like such a baby in situations like these! yes, it’s great that you’re looking out for this dumbass,” mark points furiously at the siren, “when he tries to eat someone for the hundredth time, but what do you do afterwards? you start acting like some sort of idiot!”

mark finally comes to a stopping point, and for once, his anger actually seems to be sizzling out. silence blankets the three of them, jaebum and jinyoung failing to meet the eldest’s disappointed gaze.

“mark, we...”

the siren appears to look solemn, and even seems...apologetic, something jaebum thought he’d never see jinyoung be again. but jinyoung doesn’t seem like he’ll be following up his words with anything anytime soon.

just as jaebum musters up the courage to say a thing or two, a hushed voice beats him to it. 

“mm, what’s happening now?” yugyeom murmurs, slowly peeking his head out their bedroom door. 

“oh, look what you dumbasses did.” mark’s demeanor suddenly lightens up, and it‘s almost impossible to believe that he was the same mermaid lecturing the two just seconds before. 

mark turns and worryingly swims over to the younger. “i’m sorry, baby, did we wake you up?”

“no, it’s fine,” yugyeom snakes his arms around the elder’s waist, “i just couldn’t sleep without you.”

mark softly coos at his adorable nature, leaning further into yugyeom’s warm embrace.

“..is that brat flashing fucking puppy eyes? at his own boyfriend?” 

jaebum holds back a sob. “so...domestic.”

jinyoung gags. “so... _disgusting_.”

“jinyoung, i’m already pissed at you and i will not hesitate to throw you directly into the sun,” mark mutters.

snickering at the siren like always, yugyeom sticks out his tongue before turning back to leave a chaste kiss on his boyfriend’s expecting lips. 

jaebum and jinyoung both have never met a couple like these two, one that’s stayed just as bright and in love as they were in the very beginning. 

the mermaid admires their love, but the siren could care less. 

jinyoung interrupts the moment, drawing attention back to the current issue at hand. “you know what? you guys just don’t get it.” 

“get what? the ‘excitement’ about killing people?” his supposed best friend irritably mutters. 

“you lure them into the ocean and watch as they drown and then you get a free fucking feast! what’s there _not_ to be excited about?”

the eldest reluctantly detaches himself from yugyeom, turning to stare at the siren with the most disgusted expression he can muster. “do you ever listen to what comes out of your mouth, jinyoung?”

the siren scoffs. “bambam would get what i’m saying.” 

“no, sweetie, he wouldn’t, because unlike _someone_ over here, bambam just hoes around twenty-four-seven, instead of  _killing people_ ,” yugyeom argues.

jinyoung rolls his eyes, taking one last look at everyone’s irritated faces before swimming past them. he’d rather be locked in his bedroom alone than stuck in a room with these three.

screw his “best friend,” and screw those stupid love birds; jinyoung never needed them anyway.

the living room echoes with the slamming of jinyoung’s bedroom door, mark flinching and jaebum merely closing his eyes and letting out dearly needed deep breath. 

it feels like jinyoung has been like this forever, angsty and resentful of the world that is. yet everyone in their little group can remember a time that truly says otherwise. 

_“too bad the jinyoung we know now is too much of a bitch to think about anyone besides himself,”_ jaebum mentally broods. 

no one says anything for awhile, allowing the water to calm figuratively _and_ literally after the arguments just had.

the youngest is the first to speak out.

“speaking of bambam, where is he?” yugyeom questions, his eyebrows raised curiously. “he’d usually be ranting about something dumb by now, like how this water does his hair no good.”

“...even though we’re always underwater,” yugyeom whispers to himself. 

jaebum hums, “oh, i saw him heading out when i was just coming back home.” 

“eh, usual bam,” mark says absentmindedly, his attention swiftly turned to jaebum. “but hey, what was that i heard about you being in love with a human? a ‘youngjae,’ if i heard right?”

mark playfully winks, and yugyeom is quick to jump onto the questioning with him. “ooh, jaebum, i thought you weren’t interested in dating anyone!”

“i’m...”

“come on, tell us all about it?” the younger presses against his right arm.

“jinyoung was trying to eat your new crush, wasn’t he?” and just like his boyfriend, mark is now on jaebum’s left side. 

yugyeom wiggles his tail eagerly, “tell us everything! 

“from the beginning,” mark notes. 

“babe, did you _really_ need to add that?”

“yugyeom, jaebum has the iq of a third grader.” mark deadpans. “of course i did! if i didn’t, he’d probably just say the human was cute and then run off into his bedroom!”

and as the couple continue to bully jaebum, he finally gives in, weak against his best friends’ insistent and nosy nature. he tells the two everything that happened that day, and the even things he learned about youngjae (or, well, the scarce information that jaebum barely got from the human).

* * *

 

“okay, dude, we love you, but...” yugyeom glances at mark hesitantly, the elder only nodding ever so slightly to encourage yugyeom to spit it out. “you barely know this guy and you already have a crush on him?”

the mermaid glares. he’d expect this sort of judgment to come from someone like jinyoung, but _yugyeom_ of all people? 

“and this is coming from who? mister, ‘oh my god, jaebum, who’s your friend? i’ve never seen anyone so _hot_ in my entire life, i want him to father my children!’ hm?” 

jaebum can so evidently _feel_ the  metaphorical daggers yugyeom is glaring at him with, but he continues anyway. 

“and how long had you known mark at the time? three fucking seconds?”

“you know what, i came here for a good fucking time, but instead i am getting  _abused_! and by my own best friend, no less!”

mark suddenly grabs his boyfriend’s hands, “aw, gyeommie, you wanted me to father your children?”

“baby, i _still_ want you to father my children!” 

the over-exaggerated pout on both of their faces are simply...vomit inducing. jinyoung was right; this _is_ kind of disgusting. how did jaebum ever deal with them for _this_ long?

the couple look like they’re seconds away from actually working on those children before jaebum cuts in. “will you two keep your hands off each other for one second?!”

“bitch, tell that to yourself next time you see youngjae!” the elder chides. 

“guys, please.”

yugyeom places a quick peck on mark’s cheek, satisfying his boyfriend and allowing all attention to return to jaebum. “okay, i’m sorry, bummie. we’re listening now.”

their eyes are now on him, the mermaid feeling...anxious, for some reason. 

“i don’t know, guys, it’s just that...i’ve never felt this way about a land creature, you know? like, i’ve saved countless amounts of jinyoung’s victims, but i’ve never met someone like... _him._ ” he softly admits, an invisible weight being lifted from his chest.

the couple eye each other knowingly, somehow conversing all their worries and woes with a single, silent glance. 

 

* * *

 

(very badly written bonus scene because i had some free time and felt like we didn’t get enough bambam in this chapter:

suddenly, jaebum remembers an important article of information. 

“oh yeah, guys,” mark and yugyeom look up from their spot on the couch, which happens one of the only pieces of furniture they own that’s bolted to the floor. 

“i told youngjae to come by again tomorrow, so if you wanted to see him...”

“oh my god, of course!!” the younger excitedly squeals, “i’ve been wanting an excuse to go to the surface anyway!”

mark internally shrieks at his lover’s cuteness, but only gives a simple nod as an answer to the other male’s impromptu request. 

jaebum gently high fives himself. “so, i guess we actually have plans for tomorrow.” 

“hopefully bambam isn’t too hungover to come with us,” yugyeom mentions, but mark only rolls his eyes.

“hopefully he doesn’t bring another drunk douchebag home again.”

a few weeks back, bambam had brought one of his dates back to the house, only for them to have sex literally all over their belongings. their kitchen, their living room, bambam’s bedroom,  and everyone else’s bedroom. 

in the middle of the night. 

while they were sleeping.

but they have to have more faith in bambam, right? they’ve known him for years, he definitely deserves the benefit of the doubt. 

but as jaebum attempts to persuade himself further, he can only think about how bambam is just... _bambam_ ; he’s absolutely unpredictable, in any and all ways.

either way, jaebum should stand up for the young siren, right?

“c’mon, guys, bambam isn’t dumb enough to repeat that crazy fucking fiasco again. especially not after what mark did to him as a punishment.” 

“damn straight.” the eldest mumbles.

but right as yugyeom opens his mouth to comment, the door slams open, an intoxicated bambam carelessly swimming into their home with a complete stranger attached to his hip. all three mermaids can smell the alcohol practically _radiating_ off of them.

“hehe, my boys!!” bambam hiccups. “meet minsoo!”

the stranger waves. the disturbingly joyful grin on his face only makes jaebum desperately want to escape the room.

“he’s the love of my life!” everything the boy says is so messily slurred together that if the three hadn’t dealt with drunk bambam for as long as they have, there would be no way they could comprehend a single word of his. 

“i’m just like you two lovebirds now!!! we have markgyeom, now we have minbam!! or bamsoo, whatever floats your boat, my man.”

the mermaids silently turn to stare at one another, somehow all internally grimacing in sync.

as minsoo pushes bambam against the wall and sloppily sticks his tongue in the siren’s mouth, mark speaks up first.

“i have permission to shove a chair leg down his esophagus, right?”

yugyeom and jaebum eye each other once more before directing their attention back to mark.

“please do,” they utter simultaneously.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, jinyoung is pretty angsty huh?? and please pray for mark lmao he has to parent jjp 24/7
> 
> btw, sorry to the people that are only here for the youngjae harem :(( but i gotta feed my underrated ships too uwu
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoyed!!! sorry about the fact that all four chapters have been written in four different styles,,,,
> 
> next chapter will definitely be the beach chapter!!! <33
> 
> feel free to leave a comment to validate me úwù


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